


The hands that make us

by milkteamayhem



Category: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24219037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkteamayhem/pseuds/milkteamayhem
Summary: Kohinata Miku is a college student and a musician, a little sunny place in a fractured future designed for her.Tachibana Hibiki is also a college student and an aspiring veterinarian, an echo that is grounded and doesn't fade.It takes two hands to clap and one to slap, one to reach out and one to grab.[Side story to"The week ends in may".]
Relationships: Kohinata Miku/Tachibana Hibiki
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	The hands that make us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ["What fades is the shadow, something that thoroughly leaves.  
>  On that exterior, I write my name.  
>  For you, nothing resounds except for the voice.  
>  What you want to be forgiven won’t exist tomorrow."](https://youtu.be/MK9IaCuPRjo)

_ "Carry yourself with elegance! Let every movement be graceful from your posture to your fingertips! Express the passion and emotions that are etched into the piece!" _

Those words rang in her head, bouncing back and forth like a metronome resounding from the deep-rooted counsel she had long abandoned. Miku grimaced. This was messing with her inner rhythm. The chords she plays sound foreign and distorted, each key building an unnerving tune that had no place in the composed range. 

_ "No. It's not good enough. Every performance has to be nothing less than perfect, do you understand?"  _

Miku picks up the pace, inhaling sharply, her motions become frantic. Fingertips dance across the keyboard in trained movements as the melody reaches its climax. She hits something in D-minor that wasn't supposed to be there and thinks nothing of it, finishing up the last two measures of the chorus section in a single breath when she abruptly stopped, fingers crashing into ivory keys with a deafening sound. It rang loudly and lingered within the sound-proofed room.

Their lead-vocal keyboardist rolled up her fists, jaw wound tight, indignant, forcing teeth against each other. She frowned at her sheet music, and the curious wiggly lines stared right back at her. She wrote this. Yet now she can't play it right. Miku didn't dare turn around to meet the concerned gazes of her band mates. It was embarrassing, frustrating even, as the lead, being unable to perform at her usual standard.

"Miku-san…" Kirika tries to approach, setting aside her guitar, but Chris beats her to it.

"Miku, are you alright?" the drummer calls from the confines of her set, allowing her childhood friend the space to respond before walking up to the front.

Chris rests her hands on the keyboard opposite of Miku and leans in carefully, repeating her question gently this time.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Mm."

Miku's eyes remained scrutinized on her sheet music. When it didn't seem she would budge, Chris sighs and straightens up.

"Maybe we shouldn't have practiced this near to your recital."

That prompted Miku to look up. "What do you mean by that."

"I mean you're not fine at all. There's a lot going on and you're distracted. As much as you hate it, you can't help thinking of Chopin and Mozart and all the other classics that you'll have to play."

So she's caught her mistakes, Miku mused. She absentmindedly taps on a key, careful not to depress it.

Light movement was heard and this time it's from Shirabe placing her bass on its stand, their session effectively ground to a halt. The four shared an uneasy silence, all waiting for someone to say something, to get the mood back on track. Perhaps the younger members assessed that this wasn't the time to stick their heads out, not wanting to appear disrespectful or speak out of turn. Well, they really are good girls, Miku allows herself a brief distraction with that thought. Being friends of a friend, she met them through Chris who attended the same music school as them. The four hung out regularly after some time, and that was years before the band was formed.

Miku knows she isn't the most cooperative nor productive when she's stubborn like this, her feelings all stuck and pulled against each other, torn between what she wants to do and what she needs to do. It's frustrating being unable to change the situation, and it's tiring to know that you're taking up everyone's time just because of… unresolved issues.

The tapping stops and Miku curls her fingers up. "I'm fine. I can play. I have to."

"Arthemis Star isn't an obligation. You don't  _ have _ to do things here."

Chris's words leave a bitter aftertaste and Miku feels it twist inside.

"Just focus on your recital for now, we can resume practice after. Until then, it'll be self-practice. That's okay with you two?" Chris directs the question to their younger friends and receives a collective "Y-yes!" in response.

"There's nothing to worry about, Miku-san! Leave the band matters to us!" Kirika declares, pumping a hand over her chest.

"You can do it, Miku-san!" encourages Shirabe.

"Go rest and focus, we'll take over from here." Chris gives her a reassuring pat on her shoulder. "We can't have you playing the wrong pieces to the wrong audience!" she playfully adds. 

Miku chuckles. "Of course."

She understands the implications, in more ways than one. Miku returns the smile, letting her hands fall to her sides as they slide off the keyboard.

"Thank you, everyone. I appreciate it." and she truly does.

They always did make concessions for her and she is always grateful for that.

Although it also does feel as if the band doesn't necessarily need her around to function, and the thought of it becoming true greatly troubles her.

* * *

Miku takes in the simple and serene sight of the sloped street their little neighbourhood studio was located on, admiring the stone wall boundary of a park across the road that housed several blooming trees. It's still relatively early in the day, so the streets are quiet and void of bustling human traffic. A gentle breeze blows from the east and Miku tilts her chin up to receive it, slowly breathing in fresh air while the unnerving strings of Vivaldi's "Summer" Allegro non molto fills her ears.

Deflating with an exhale, Miku tugs at the shoulder straps of her gig bag and begins her lone walk down to the train station. She passes by restaurants and small shops, some beckoning random pedestrians for a peek inside while others temporarily closed to prepare their lunch service.

Miku takes her eyes off the road just as "Summer" Presto opens with its intense strings, watching two children play catch on the opposite pavement when she noticed a sudden movement in her peripheral view. They brushed shoulders, though Miku's quick reaction had saved her from the worst of their collision.

"W-oops! Sorry, didn't see you coming!" gasped the girl with short, fluffy light brown hair. She was dressed in an employee's uniform with an apron of a soothing earthly colour tied around her waist. Her voice wasn't exactly loud, even if she did momentarily overwhelm the music Vivaldi had created.

Miku unplugs her earphone as she faces the girl, noting that she looks oddly familiar.

She glances at her name tag.

[ Hibiki ]

An echo, a reverberation, the feeling of a sound. What a nice name.

"-Ah! Aren't you ArtheStar's Miku-san?!" exclaims the girl, Hibiki, eyes wide in awe.

For a brief moment Miku was at loss for words. It would be a lie to say she wasn't caught by surprise.

"Yes, that is me." Miku offers her a business smile. "Are you perhaps, a fan of ours?"

"Yes!" came the prompt response. "Never missed a live, never thought I'd be lucky to bump into you on the streets."

Asking was redundant when the excitement in Hibiki’s eyes explained itself. She looked ready to burst with joy. Maybe ask for a handshake, or even a photo together! 

And Miku shuddered at the thought.

She won't want to disappoint, but she wasn't up for such interactions either. Not today, not with much weighing at the back of her mind.

"My apologies, I-"

"Would you like to try our new menu?"

_ Eh? _

The girl got in close with an earnest smile and held out a small box to Miku. The words [ Flower's Okonomiyaki: Summer Special! ] were handwritten on the card sign pasted behind the box, and contained in it were bite-sized samples of the restaurant's new dish.

Perhaps it was the abrupt shift or something else entirely, but Miku's attention was now fully on the samples. Prior she had been so caught up in her thoughts that she had almost forgotten that things weren't always about who she is. Hibiki saw her tense shoulders relax heaved in relief herself. Strange, how it works.

She studies a sample, noting a slight difference in the ingredients used. 

"Are these…?"

"Yes, they're Ayu flakes, grilled and topped with beni shouga. Thought we'd be creative, and try a fusion with our seasonal foods." Hibiki grins. "I know we're still in May, a little early for summer, but we wanted to get a feel of our customer's tastes. We're relatively new to this area, after all."

"Is this a new restaurant?"

"It's our second branch." Hibiki smiles. "So, would you like a taste? Or better, to take a seat inside and enjoy a snack?"

"And I'll have to pay for said snack, thus adding to your revenue, hm?"

Not that she minded, really. Their words playful, cheeky in a way Miku hadn't expected nor foreseen herself responding in kind. It sprung out from nowhere, this nice rapport. Not rehearsed, not obligated, just someone she'd met on the street. Quite silly, actually. But this silliness rarely surfaced in her life. Refreshing, like rediscovering the first breeze of spring.

She looks at Hibiki, then up at the shop's sign board. Her band session was set to end before lunch, and she's required to be home by two for rehearsals.

But since she was urged to leave early, Miku now has more time on her hands! ... So long as she returns before two.

Miku regards Hibiki and, with a measured smile, she says.

"Sure, why not?"

* * *

After being welcomed into the small modest restaurant, Miku picks a seat by the diner-style countertop and unloads her baggage, mainly her keyboard which she leans carefully beside her.

Hibiki moved to take her place behind the cooking space of the countertop, hands poised on the edge of her workstation, looking expectantly at Miku.

"What may I have for you today?" asks Hibiki, once the other has settled.

Miku takes a moment to ponder, "An ayu okonomiyaki, please. Thank you."

"One ayu okonomiyaki, coming right up!"

Hibiki prepares her stage, raising the heat of her griddle with a flick of her wrist while her other hand scoops a ladle of dashi-mixed batter into a bowl. She reaches for the egg tray behind her and retrieves two eggs in one hand, with Miku noting her relaxed yet firm grip. The eggs are cracked into the bowl in a trained motion. Knock, split, throw, knock, split, throw, and a spoon folds the mixture well.

The main cast is gathered, with a good serving of chopped cabbage, pickled red ginger, and diced pork belly thrown into the mix. Hibiki oils the griddle with a splash and spreads it evenly using her flat spatula. She whisks the bowl vigorously twice more, then pours half of it onto the grill. The batter sizzles nicely at medium heat.

Okonomiyaki ordered in restaurants are never fast food. The time it takes to prepare, cook, and serve, are each akin to parts of a whole performance, an exhibition of art. So Miku watches attentively when Hibiki works with her spatulas, moving without hesitation as she scrapes and pushes the batter into a round heap, chopping lightly to spread it out, then running circles around its edge and repeating the process to achieve its desired shape.

There’s no redoing a dish when you’re cooking in front of your customer, just as there's no restarting a performance when you’re on stage before your audience. There can be no mistakes. And even if there are, the show must go on. Coordinating her spatulas like an extension of herself, Hibiki deftly aligns four long cuts of ayu fish onto the okonomiyaki batter and Miku silently marvels at how steady and precise her hands move.

The remaining batter is poured onto the stack and packed into shape, topped with a generous amount of okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise after both sides were browned. To finish, Hibiki crushes a fistful of ayu fish flakes over the top and dresses it with strips of pickled red ginger.

"Here you go, thanks for the wait!"

Again, with that wide and earnest grin. It reminds her of the first rays of light that pierce through decks of stormy clouds, the hope it brings that things will be alright.

Hope, huh. Maybe that’s exactly what was lacking.

Miku reciprocates with a smile and takes her first taste of the pancake.

"How is it?" a curious Hibiki leans forward and asks.

"Delicious." Miku says, politely covering her mouth with a hand as she chewed. "The light sweetness of the fish is well retained. It’s not a flavour I was expecting. But then again, this place is one surprise after another."

"Not at all! You give too much credit." Hibiki laughs, instantly bashful.

"Do I? Just now, you showed great familiarity and confidence in your ability to cook. I was impressed, just watching you move. Is that not an acquired skill? Surely, that all took time and effort."

"Really?" Hibiki smiles sheepishly, baring a lopsided grin as a hand instinctively reaches for the back of her neck, clearly not anticipating the remark, or compliment, whichever way she registered it.

"Well, I did help around the kitchen since young. Grandma says I’ve still got some ways to go, though." she chuckles. "But okonomiyaki isn't too complicated to make either. It’s the same motions, chop and mix. You should see my roommate cook. The way she handles the knives and pan, it's like an art."

"But your cooking is like an art too. I saw it with my eyes. It’s diligence, even in the small matters. Complicated dish or not, you wouldn't have moved the way you did had you not taken the task to heart."

Hibiki looked genuinely surprised, which puzzled Miku.

"Did I say something wrong? I'd like to apologize if I did."

"No, not at all!" the cook waves both hands to dismiss the idea. "It's just, I didn't expect to hear those words from you. It's a great honour."

It confuses her at first, but as Miku observes the slight tinge of pink framing Hibiki's smile, it clicks what the girl might have meant. She lets out a wry laugh and shakes her head.

"Hey, I’m just a normal girl too, you know?"

Although they both laughed in good humour Hibiki knew deep down that those words stayed with her.

* * *

Miku takes a slow sip of her drink after finishing her meal, making a mental note to inform Chris of this place. Whenever they shared a meal as a band, be it for debrief or a quick catch of food, it was always either a curated restaurant per Chris's recommendation, or a fast food outlet favoured by Kirika, or an economical family diner of Shirabe's endorsement. Miku never quite had the opportunity to contribute, until now.

Childish as it may, the mere thought of finding a place that even Chris has yet to discover excites her. They used to explore so many places together. Parks, playgrounds, eateries and candy shops, it was a friendly competition for bragging rights of who introduced the other to this next best place they found. Miku had since stopped while Chris would still travel hours by train to their neighbouring districts in search for the best pasta. Reminiscing their shared memories had Miku chuckling to herself, eyes closed as she shook her head. Who knows how long she sat like that, chin resting on her hands propped up on the diner-style countertop by her elbows, taking her time.

It is… calming, here. As though things flow differently in this shop. It must be the modest traditional design, Miku surmises, observing the light tatami colours. Things of old tend to make one inclined to slow their pace, to return to simpler days.

Miku subtly shifts her gaze to watch Hibiki work behind the counter, chopping heads of cabbage into fine strips and portioning them into cling-wrapped containers. The girl handles her large gyuto with ease, swiftly shredding through wedges of cabbage. The sleeves of her uniform are rolled up, showing much of her forearms.

It takes a while for the light-haired girl to notice, and when she finally does she blinks in surprise.

"Was there something?"

"Yes."

Miku answered before she could think. Truth be, there wasn’t anything specific she’d wanted to tell the girl. How embarrassing. There was, however, one thing that remained on her mind.

"Can I ask a question?"

Hibiki turns around to give the raven-haired girl her undivided attention.

"Hypothetically speaking… and this is only hypothetical. Would you abandon a responsibility thrust upon you in favour of something you desire?"

"Eh?"

"... If you had to choose between the two, what would you do?"

Hibiki crossed her arms, dipping her head with a frown as she mulled over the question while Miku eyed her, hiding her lips behind the refuge of her ceramic cup.

It was a shot in the dark. It’s silly. She’s spoken too much. Miku barely understood what prompted her to mention this to the girl named “Hibiki”, much less ask for her thoughts regarding such matters. What if she’s scared away a fan? A sardonic laugh echoes in her mind. It must’ve been the calming atmosphere of this place that has caused her to say these things. That must be it.

“It’s alright if--”

“If I had to choose,” Hibiki begins slowly, carefully forming the words to convey.

She purses her lips in thought for a mere second, and exhales.

“It’s a struggle. I would want to satisfy both, but that’s unrealistic. I’d make myself desire to fulfil my responsibility, but that is an obligation at best. I could try to see what I want to achieve in my responsibility, but in the very end I think it’s what I desire that will keep me going.”

She raises a hand to cup her chin. “I suppose that ends up satisfying both sides? Gosh, I’m not answering your question, am I.”

Miku opened her mouth to reply, but closed them when she found no words. How earnest, this girl.

“No, this much is enough.” Miku manages to say.

Unconvinced, Hibiki studies her customer with those expressive eyes of hers.

“Are you--” facing this exact struggle, was what she wanted to ask when they heard a voice calling from the kitchen.

“Hibiki-chan, are you there? Can you help us to lift these boxes?” calls the voice of an older lady.

“Ah! I’ll be right there!”

Hibiki shifts to check the situation in the kitchen, then casts a look back at Miku.

She wanted to apologize, but Miku smiles at her instead, the kind of smile that seems to understand.

“Go help them.”

“Y-yeah.”

Hibiki rushes in the direction of the kitchen, taking two steps forward when she stops and turns around.

“All the best for the live in May! I’ll be there.”

Miku nods.

“I’ll do my best. Thank you, Hibiki-san.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I hope this was an okay start? I'd very much love to read your feedback.  
> Hibiki Miku... and Chris. Did you pick up on the changes in their dynamic and those that stayed the same? Honestly it was fun mixing things up and giving them different roles compared to what we've got in canon. That's what alternate universes are for aren't they hahaha.
> 
> In this story Arthemis Star is the band formed by Chris and Miku ("Arthemis" and "Star" geddit? harhar), short form ArtheStar, and even shorter it becomes AHo (for "Arutemisu Hoshi" but also translates to "idiot/fool" for what we often hear of Hibiki from Chris lol)  
> The type of music produced by this band is inspired by School Food Punishment/la la larks. Sky Step, the song that is linked at the start, has interesting drum and keyboard beats in my opinions especially at the end (the keyboard went hard imo). I just really wanted to imagine Chris and Miku having that kind of resonance in the music they perfom.
> 
> Also please please please listen to [Vivaldi's Summer](https://youtu.be/g65oWFMSoK0) that's mentioned in this chapter. Chose this performance of it cause it's the one that left a lasting impression on me. The lead violinist's smile at the end and the various expressions of that dude behind her are worth the watch.


End file.
